Cotton-picker.



PATENTED OOT.- 2-9. 1907.

Q No. 869,703.

N.\Tll.\N GASTON, OF GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI;

COTTON-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed September '7. 1906. Serial No. 333.698.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, NATHAN A. GASTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gull'port, in the county 01' Harrison and State ofMississippi, have invented certain new and useful improvements inCotton-Pickers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in cottonpickers, and pertains moreparticularly to pneumatic pickers. i

The object of my invention is to provide a picker of this character, inwhich the suction for drawing the cotton inwardly also operates thepickers, and thus dispenses with the usual belts or gearing [or drivingeach picker.

Another object of my invention is to provide a more simple, cheap andeffect ve cotton picker of the character described and shown.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a side elevation of myimproved pneumatic picker, showing it connected to a vehicle havingsuction means. Fig. 2, is an enlarged perspective view of the improvedpicker proper. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of Fig.2, and Fig. 4, is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line:r-rc of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the truck supported uponwheels 2 in any desired manner, and provided with draft means 3 by meansof which the picker is drawn along between the rows of cotton. The saidtruck has supported thereabove the longitudinally extending horizontaltube or cylinder 4 which has connected thereto a fan drum 5 by means ofwhich a suction is caused within the tube 4 from the forward end towardsthe rear end. Carried by the truck is an engine 6 which is prelerably ofthe gasolene type, and by means of a chain 7 the fan is rapidly drivenfor causing the necessary suction, as will be hereinafter described.While I have shown a gasolene engine for running the fan, or suctionpump, it is understood that any desired form of engine may be used.

The tube 4 has connected thereto a number of flexible tubes 7 whichcarry at their outer ends the pickers 8 which form the principal part ofmy invention. The tubes 7 may be of any desired number and extend fromboth sides of the tube 4 in order that two rows of cotton can be pickedat one operation, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The pickers 8, are secured to the ends of the tubes 7 and are detachablysecured to the tubes so that should a picker become broken or otherwisedisabled, it can be removed and replaced by a new picker. The saidpicker 8 is made of a cast box-like or cylindrical-shaped member whichis provided at its inner end with a socket-like portion 9, by means ofwhich it is secured to the flexible pipe, as heretofore described. Theouter end of the picker proper is provided with an outwardly flaredportion 10 forming the mouth of the picker, and

into which the bulk of cotton is inserted. One side of the picker 8 andalso the flared month, are cut away, as indicated at H and 12, and thebody of the picker adjacent the opening 11 is provided with a drum 13which is revolubly mounted and adapted to freely rotate. The drum, asshown, is so mounted within the picker tube 8 that it extends outthrough the opening 11 therein, as will be now described. The said drum13 is provided with a series of picker blades 14 which, as shown, are ofan elongated form, and have their outer edges provided with serrationsor teeth 15 which engage the cotton and pull it from the bolls. Theinner edge of the blades are provided with a portion 16 bent at a slightangle to the blade, and the ends of the said bent portion extend aconsiderable distance beyond the blades,and are bent at right anglesthereto, as indicated at 17, and form the cars 18 which extend over theends of the drum and are secured thereto by pivots 19. By this structureit will be seen that the picker blades are adapted to swing upon thedrum for the purpose hereinafter described. The said drum 13 is providedwith radially-extending pins 21 which are so positioned that the portion16 of the blades engages the same, and limits the movement of the bladeduring the suction action on the blades.

The opposite side of the tube or cylinder 8 is provided with a bulgedportion 20 which is directly opposite to the revolving drum, and whichallows the cotton to be carried around by the picker blades. This bulgedportion is preferably as shown, of a semi-circular'form and is formedintegral with the tube 8.

In operation, the engine is started which causes a suction through thetube 4, and also in the tubes 7, and the picker 8. This suction causes acurrent of air through the tube which engages the blades on the innerside of the drum, and causes the same to rotate.- After the blades havepassed a slight distance below the center of the drum, they swing upontheir pivots so that the current of the air upwardly through the openingat the rear of the drum is drawing upon the edge of the blades and haslittle or no pulling effect thereon, while the blades beyond the centerare being acted upon by the suction. The current of air upwardly throughthe opening in front of thedrum engages the blades before they enter thehousing and has a pulling effect thereon,

the current of air being indicated by arrows shown in Fig. 3. Thiscauses the rapidrotation of the drum, and as the blades enter thepicker, they engage the cotton in the bulb and pull it therefrom, andthe cotton is carried thereby to the tube 8, where the current of airdraws it fromthe blades and -conveys it along through the tubes 7 and 4,and discharges it into areceptacle at the rear of the truck.

Q seems Having thus described my invention, what I claim,

V means for rotating said pickers.

3. A cotton picker comprising a tube, a rotary drum within the tube,feathering picker blades mountcd upon the drum, and a suction means incommunication with the tube for causing a current of air through thetube and engaging the blades and rotating the drum.

4. A cotton picker comprising a tube, a rotary drum, partially withinthe tube, feathering picker blades mounted upon the drum, and a suctionmeans incommunication with the tube for causing a current of air throughthe tube and engaging the blades and. rotating the drum.

5. A cotton picker comprising a tube having a flared outer end, and acut-away portion within the lower side, a rotary drum mounted within thetube and extending through the cut-away portion, feathering bladescarried by the drum, and suction means in communication with the tubefor causing a current of air through the tube and engaging the bladesand rotating the drum. 1

6. A cotton picker comprising a tube having a flared outer end, and acut-away portion in the lower side, a ro tary drum mounted within thetube and extending through the cut-away portion, feathering bladescarried by the drum, a suction means in communication with the tube forcausing a current of air through the tube and engaging the blades androtating the drum, and a bulged portion carried by the tube opposite thecutaway portion to allow the blades to carry the cotton rearwardly.

7. A cotton picker, comprising a tube, a drum mounted therein, pickersconsisting of a blade portion having teeth at their outer edges, and abody portion bent at a slight angle to the blade, and haying its endsextended and turned laterally over the ends of the drums, nd pivotspassing through the said laterally turned ends and entering the ends ofthe drums.

8. A cotton picker, comprising 'a supporting truck, a horizontallyarranged tube carried thereby, a suction pump in communication with thehorizontal tube, an engine carried by the truck and adapted to operatethe said suction pump, flexible tubes in communication with thehorizontal tube, picker tubes connected thereto, rotary drums mounted insaid picker tubes, feathering blades carried by the drums whereby thedrums are caused to rotate by suction.

9. A cotton picker, comprising a tube, a drum mounted therein, pickerseach consisting of a blade portion having teeth at its outer edge, and abody portion bent at a slight angle to the blade, and having its endsextended and turned laterally over the ends of the drum, pivots passingthrough the said laterally turned endsfand entering the ends of thedrum, and radially arranged pins carried by the periphery of the drum,and adapted to be engaged by the body portion and serving as a stop forthe blades.

10. A cotton picker, comprising a tube having a bulged portion in oneside, a rotary drum mounted in the tube ad- 'jacent the opposite side,pickers each consisting of a blade portion and a bodyportion, means forpivotally connecting the body portion to the drum, and a suction meansconnected to the tube.

11. A cotton picker comprising a tube having a bulged portion in oneside,,the opposite side of the tube having a cut-away portion, a drumrotatably mounted within the tube and extending through the cut-awayportion, feathering blades carried by the drum, and suction meansconnected to the tube.

12. A cotton picker comprising a tube having a bulged portion in oneside, the opposite side of the tube having a cut-away portion, a drumrotatably mounted within the tube and extending through the cutawayportion, pickers each consisting of a blade portion having teeth at itsouter edge and a body portion bent at a slight angle to the blade, andhaving its ends extended and turned laterally over the ends of the drum,pivots passing through the said laterally turned ends and entering theends of the drum, and radially-arranged pins carried by the periphery ofthe drum and adapted to be engaged by the body portion and serving as astop for limiting the swinging movement of the picker in one direction.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence oi! two witnesses.

NATHAN A. GASTON. Witnesses:

P. H. M. TII'I'IN, L. B. JAYN.

